Validation of Dunbar's Number in Twitter
Author Information
Author(s): Gonçalves Bruno, Perra Nicola, Vespignani Alessandro
Primary Institution: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
Hypothesis
Do online social networks like Twitter remove cognitive or biological constraints on human communication?
Conclusion
The study found that users can maintain a maximum of 100–200 stable relationships on Twitter, supporting Dunbar's theory.
Supporting Evidence
- The analysis of Twitter data supports Dunbar's number, showing a limit on stable relationships.
- Users' social interactions are constrained by cognitive and biological limits.
- The study utilized a large dataset of over 380 million tweets.
Takeaway
People can only keep in touch with about 100 to 200 friends, even on Twitter, because our brains have limits.
Methodology
Analyzed a dataset of Twitter conversations over six months involving 1.7 million individuals.
Limitations
The study focuses only on active communication and may not account for all types of social interactions.
Participant Demographics
Twitter users from various societal layers.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
50%
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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